We may join the BK movement because we believe that we have found “God.” For those who joined out of some “reason,” the entrance exam is through the practice of the Maryadas. However, those who joined based on a “subtle experience,” may have enough fuel to follow everything to the dot. At least, that was my case.

Once we are “in,” immediately we will be considered for “service.” Success in this endeavor will encourage the follower to continue on. How many new souls did you bring in? How many signed up for the “7 day course” because of you? Was your activity deemed to be “accurate” according to the in-charge?

Observe that there is no difference between the “outside world,” and the “spiritual one” in this procedure. After all, it is about being “successful,” “self-driven,” “go-getter,” etc.

What is the difference? “You” are working for “God” rather than some “normal” human being.“You” are getting paid as well. The “currency” is called “karma.” There will be good karmic accounts accumulated in your karmic “bank account.” Those monies will be withdrawn sometime in the future, after “you” die. You will not get it now.

That is the big difference between a “normal job” and the “spiritual, godly job.”

Observe the same merchant mentality is being exploited in both instances. “Normal” people understand that procedure, so it is easy for them to follow with the practice in the “spiritual realm.”

What is the fear?

Once the follower decides to leave. In a “normal job” that is not big deal. Another employer will offer another job opportunity. However, In Brahma Kumaris, there is an emotional seemingly unbreakable lock which will keep many followers in fear of leaving.“You will ruin your fortune.” Here is the punch line: “It will be for ever.” No way to fix it. Moreover, you will be leaving “god.” That is crazy!

A person surrounded by all of these “reasons,” for sure will develop guilt and a sense of feeling “dirty,” (impure) if he leaves. Add the fact that other Bks are typically the only social circle aka “family” a BK follower has, and the sense of being alone will be there. The deeper you get in, the harder it is to get out.That is the “rule of thumb.”

After all, it is all about “investment.” How much have you invested to belong? How much do you expect to get out in the “future”?

On the other hand, those who followed without much intensity. Those who “cheated” on the Maryadas once in a while, those who never left completely the “outside world,” for those, leaving is a walk in the park.

Nevertheless, change will be experienced in both cases. The one who got deeper, has greater capacity for hardship and thus greater opportunity to know himself.

Interestingly, not many will see that. They will only see that they have been cheated, lied, robbed, etc. These individuals were not fulfilled in their desires. They were there because of a personal agenda of “success.”

Many are not aware of what self-transformation entails. It is Life bringing what is perceived as hardship. It doesn’t matter if we stay in a religious setting or not. What matters is if we were able to go through that experience in wonder, enjoyment and trust. Religions and spiritual paths should only provide tools to deal with those events. How could “I” enjoy hardship? It is not necessarily the experience of hardship but everything else brought to you because of that particular hardship. It depends on what we focus on. Experiences will pass, and if we emerge well and strong aka, “with an smiling face,” we understood the essence of spirituality without reading a single “sacred text.”

Many times the price to know thyself, is steep; but “you get what you paid for” now.

There is no after life promise of “salvation.” No future “bank account” involved.

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Om shanti. Thank you brother for this article. Yes, as long as we consider this study to be another means of accumulating for the future, we can not progress much on this spiritual path. Accepting the self as it is and allowing the transformation to happen spontaneously is the sure way to progress.

When we observe our conditioned ways, we could realize that we expect Life to move according to our understanding, which is not accurate. However, many religious views are following this way, and followers just follow the lead… Thanks for your valuable input.

First, it is important to recognize that Brahma Kumaris is a spiritual school and it has a mission.What is that mission? To give the basic understanding of the “spiritual realm” and to introduce followers into a different mind set. Brahma Kumaris will enhance self value of the follower through the experience of enhanced ego.As already shared, that is necessary in the “spiritual” path for without the ego increasing to its full potential, there is no “fuel” to later “dissolve” it.

That “elementary” school (BK) is the backbone for further exploration, though only for those who are ready. “Ready” is not a matter of time in the BK movement, but rather; it is readiness of consciousness, awareness.

Second, when going for the full experience of the BK movement, to reach a point of saturation becomes important to move on. For “full experience” I mean, someone who fulfills all teachings of the Bks. Someone who stays a BK but in the “periphery” of it, does not feel the complete effect. There, it is easy to move in and out, without much change due to inner struggle.Many do not get to that point. They may have different conflicts or sour experiences which will force them to leave.Nevertheless, whatever your experience; if you feel cheated, angry about them and full of animosity; you will be trapped deeper; as you will not be able to let go.

Third, many get caught up in the politics, in the administrative ways of some people who exercise their own little ego trip. Although that has influence in followers, I consider that benefit is beyond all that. Practice the Maryadas. That is pretty much it. Observe your own inner conflicts. Observe when enough is enough and what is triggering that. Otherwise, we get caught up in what Dadi said, what the in charge did to me, what someone else informed me about the BKs, etc.Go by your own experience, not someone else.

Being part of the Brahma Kumaris is like having a relationship with someone. Both parties go into it out of their own will. There may be some lofty goal as objectives to reach, but the relationship will die away when both parties are unable to compromise. There is always change, and change is neither “good nor bad” but necessary, unavoidable.

Leaving the BK relationship should be out of your own will as well. For instance, if there is animosity towards the person that we once loved, then that will be our trigger, our trauma which we will be unable to let go.

We are out of the BK experience, when we let go and that for sure, is one of the most important “spiritual” teachings one should encounter. All relationships are meant to end someday. It is unavoidable in Life. We may think that we “found God” but if we found “him” it means that we lost “him” before, and that we will lose “him” again.

To avoid an indigestion of traumas, it is important to learn to assimilate the time that we spent within the BK experience.What is what you took out of it that will help you in your current Life? That is the type of perspective to move on harmoniously.

The “Golden age” is heaven. It is good, pure. In contrast, now is the “Iron age.” It is bad, sinful… What is the teaching? Forget the un-rightful world. Make effort to go to the “rightful world.” Nevertheless, because we live in the world of duality, what it is “now” is the consequence of what it was before, the “Golden age.” “Hell” is there only because of “Heaven.” Therefore, what it is now is “right,” just as it is. Don’t want that? Then do not have a “golden age.” Simple as that.

Do you want a “high status”? Open many centers for the Brahma Kumaris religion. Proselytize as much as you live. After all, the “Golden age” is a trade mark, an exclusivity of the Brahma Kumaris religion. Correct? No? Then try the Christian “Golden age.” It is called “Heaven.” Christians offer a “better deal,” all you have to do is “good actions.” They already have all the temples they need.

The “Golden age” and the “Iron age” are ONE. For there cannot be Golden age without Iron age. This is a different “teaching.” When we stop looking at the scenes of duality as different from each other (by taking the childish approach of choosing one side and rejecting the other,) or wanting to hold on into something that is meant to change; at that point, we could look, observe and see the beauty of all.

That beauty is tarnished in our own mind with conditioned ideals of what is “good, bad, right, wrong, what should be and shouldn’t be,” etc. That beauty is polluted with our own greed to “insure ourselves” for the afterlife (salvation.) That greed is fueled by fear of being a nobody, a loser or sinner missing the opportunity to become a “somebody” in the future.

Interesting how we can dress up our fear, greed and obsessive-compulsive mind with a saintly looking dress or a religious title, under the label of “purity.”

Every religion or belief system understood by the collective consciousness, as having the “truth” is about the chance of BECOMING something.

In Brahma Kumaris there are all sorts of “good things” that a follower could become: An Angel, a Deity, God’s helper, A serviceable soul, A gyany soul, A yogi soul, A “true” Brahmin (pukka,) etc.

Christianity has its share of BECOMING as well: An angel, a Seraphim a Cherubim, Archangels, Saints, Church protectors, pope, cardinals, priests, etc.

Any other organized religion has similar hierarchy to entice a follower into something “worthwhile” to become. Mundane parents will instigate their offspring to become a doctor, a lawyer, the president, etc. Do we see the parallel? That is the way the conditioned human mind works. There is always a need for an objective. Without objectives, without something to achieve, we wouldn’t know what to DO with our lives.

The goal is there but the “method” to achieve it, is the thing sold by a religion, a system, a guru, etc. Someone has to come up with the “right method” to follow.

“Success” is measured once the objective is reached, through our ability to follow a “method.” Our society wants to make every imaginable objective into some sort of easy to achieve, fool proof shortcut. “Spirituality” is no less.

The promise of becoming something “important” drives the follower’s ego into some “divine” goal. However, the “mundane” goal is not different as far as consciousness is concerned.

Picture this: I follow some method by some religion and then when I die, followers say that “I became an angel.” Who is there to check that? How do I check it? It is all a matter of belief or the experience of a few. Nevertheless, whether that story is true or not, it does not matter at all.

The experience of a different consciousness it is not related with how well we know someone’s story.

Because I know the story of Brahma Baba or Jesus, because I follow what I believe to be their steps, it does not mean that I will be like them. What Jesus, Buddha and Brahma Baba had in common? They were human beings whose expression of consciousness were misinterpreted, by the immense majority while they were alive. Once they were dead, their stories became popular. At that point, a follower may become an “authority” about their guru life story. Then, the hierarchy is built among followers with the “intention” (that is the excuse) of “becoming like him.” From that point on, distortion of “teachings” is guarantee.

That sort of silly, empty pursue of becoming like someone else, is covering the “real” thing, the core of our existence, that is the realization of who we ARE.

BEING, observing who we ARE, becoming AWARE of that who we call “I,” is relegated into oblivion. Instead, let me collect pictures and photos of my “beloved guru.” Let me pray to him to get me something or other, to intercede for me. Let his memory make miracles for me, so I can become someone “special” in this Life.

That sort of infantile nonsense is very typical of some grown-ups. All they need is a promise that they can BECOME someone else.

That is exactly the point where their lack of self-esteem starts. That fear of BEING themselves to learn from themselves, is taking them to worship another, for there is no love for self.

When a human being is in that state of consciousness, he is not ready yet to grow. Their support system relies on someone to tell them what is “right.” However, that is the beginning of the journey.

The way we interpret things is according to our experiences and consciousness. This we may call “truth,” but it is a belief which stands because there is no way to check it.

The “heaven” of Christianity is different from the one from Brahma Kumaris. Every follower will believe to have the “truth.”

“Only Brahma Kumaris followers can go to heaven… with the exception of scientists, but these scientists will be there only as subjects.” That belief is self-supporting. There is no way to check this, but it is considered to be “true” just because “Baba said it.” He said it, because it is written in the “Murli” and the Murli comes from “God.” It is a circular belief which starts and ends in the word of God, although; God himself is on the brink of beliefs. Paradoxically, “God” is the experience of very few, which was mass enhanced to be made the belief of the many.

Same with Christians. The belief that the Bible is a book “inspired by God,” is believed by millions of followers. That belief believed by “majorities” is considered to be “true.”

In my time as a BK follower, I wasn’t able to observe the above. Why? Simply because “I” had “invested” a lot in the BK belief system. “I” couldn’t be “wrong.” It was easy to leave the Christian belief as it did not require much from me, other than going to mass once in a while, confess to the priest here and there and contribute economically in favor of the church. All those externalities, gave me the name of “Christian” and I was in good standing with my surrounding society.

However, with Brahma Kumaris, it was different. It was “me” against the belief of the rest. It was “I” who was made different and had knowledge and experience of God himself. It was on “me” to teach the rest, to make “subjects” for “my” kingdom. :-). (As the Murli says.)

Now, it is easy to observe that tremendous “I-ness” which “I” wasn’t able to see before. An experience which gave me a contrast was necessary to awake my awareness and not intellectual knowledge.

In society, my “I” grew by going with the stream, the current, by following what was supposed to be desirable: A well-paying job, with social status and all of that. In the BK experience, it was the opposite: My “I” grew by going against the current. “I” was a fish out of the water, desiring to be with the “ocean” of knowledge.

When the “I” experiences both sides, then “no-I” is the next experience. There, there is no need of a belief in heaven. No “holy” books are required. However, the transformation that this entails will change everything we thought to be “I.” As Brahma Baba said in the Murlis, it is to “die alive;” however; in the Brahma Kumaris religion, dying alive entails to change the identification of the “I” from the luxuries of society into the activities of the Golden age. But “dying alive” is to die from the “I,” and this cannot happen if there is an identification such as “I am a BK,” for there is “I” in there.

As we could see, it doesn’t matter whether I was “right” before and now I am not. It doesn’t matter if “I had the truth before,” and now I don’t. What matters in my path, is that I have experienced that change in consciousness.Therefore, how can I say that Brahma Kumaris of Christianity are “wrong” paths? That is not possible. Both of them are necessary. Both of them will offer different things to a seeker.

The “truth” has different colors according to the glasses of consciousness that we wear.

well, I too was involved in Christianity a lot before BKs, because the tuition teacher of my sister had given us a small prayer book and said that if you pray to “Mother Mary” and ask what you want, you will get that!
So the only thing I did as a Christian was to ask Mother as many desires as I can, Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, they give amazing preachings you know. Very entertaining and motivating.

But over a period of time, I realized that “Come on! I am asking in prayer and nothing is happening, may be my Karma matters more than the prayer.” 🙂

Jesus never showed God but he spoke about God, made people feel that there is a God, symbolized Godliness. But he never showed any form or picture. Don’t know why BKs teach that Christ taught God is a light!! 🙂

Sister Gita…the time period of cofluence age keeps changing based on the specified time period earlier…when Bhrama baba started yagya…this period was 40 years…Satyug did not come in 40 years so they changed it to 100 years or so…this might change again if satyug does not come in 2037… this is based on my personal research…not saying this to create doubt here …Om shanti

Our consciousness will change once there is experiential awareness. Consciousness does not change by mere regurgitation of “Knowledge/ Gyan.”

For this to happen, there is a need for a space away from the elements of conditioning. In most cases, society is the biggest source of conditioning, thus anything that will keep us away from society will give us the space needed for awareness to appear.

In my time as a Brahma Kumaris follower, I can now see; how the above explanation was present. To hang out only with BK followers, to only eat the food prepared by them, to follow their codes of conduct and to spend most of my time with Brahma Kumaris “business,” was the way to create that space of separation from mainstream society.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see at that time how deconditioning was operating: I wasn’t watching TV or going to the movies, for that was considered a waste of time and a source of “tamopradhan” vibes. I wasn’t around my family members. Work was “better” if it did not take much of my time after the requirements to sustain myself were fulfilled. Sexuality was shut down as a way to avoid further mingling and attachment with others and my body. In a nutshell, most ways of conditioning that society values, were taken away. At that time, my mind was “black or white,” as the knowledge/Gyan appeared to me: “I am becoming satopradhan (good) while society’s way was corrupted, tamopradhan. A rejection to mainstream society arrived, which was largely supported by hearing the daily Sakar Murlis.

Observe how deconditioning takes place, although; a new conditioning was placed in my mind instead. This conditioning is the one that becomes hard for a “firm” follower to get rid of, once the person leaves the Brahma Kumaris movement. Why? The feeling of guilt is unavoidable. The Brahma Kumaris movement is an extraordinary deconditioning path, which leaves no way to “escape” for a follower who is preoccupied in gaining Godly favors in heaven or in this Life, or for a follower who has this idea that to be “good” is to follow a script given by someone else. Usually this follower is an achiever, who is trading mainstream ways into what he may think are “spiritual” ways. This follower has fear of failure and not to comply with the teachings of “god.” That fear will manifest eventually in anger.

An ex-follower will use scientific evidence to prove the BK teachings “wrong,” to be at peace with his guilt. Science is one of the greatest conditioning paths that mainstream society has. To believe in scientific research is for the BEING, at the same level of believing in some deep rooted traditional belief system. Both conditioning paths, will take away the ability of the individual to discover his own truth, to observe himself, to become AWARE.

Nevertheless, conditionings paths are not “bad.” They are necessary to live in society, in groups. But, for someone who is walking the path of self-realization, these props of conditioning will need to be left aside, to discover our own self. This event has a timing and it is different for every individual.

The path of self-realization has many curves in it. It is not straightforward as any method will try to teach. When a person is ready for this trip, what is known, that is his current conditioning, society, may need to be left aside. How could anyone realize the intimate link between a person and society unless that individual is removed from it?

There are many stories of self-realized individuals who left society of their time while in the process of self-realization, just to come back later on. Buddha, Mahavira even Jesus left their society. Other lesser known self-realized individuals, lived with their gurus or alone while in the process of being removed from the old conditioning.

Similarly, that is the intention of religious systems known as “cults” by society. A follower eventually will be gone from society. He will adopt new ways, new beliefs, new behaviors which are not the common practice of society, labeled as “normal.”

Individuals who do not know the process of de-conditioning, could perceive this as negative, a byproduct of joining a cult. For the follower, this will be about obtaining some ideal, such as having the truth, working for God, leaving the corrupt ways of society, etc.

I am not saying that “cults” are good or bad. At this point, I hope that those 2 little words are left aside by readers, to understand what Avyakt7-NG is trying to convey in these articles. “Cults” or religious groups have a purpose, which is to give the follower another conditioned perspective away from mainstream society.

A Brahma Kumaris follower, basically will change the conditioning of society to replace it with a new conditioning. Very few individuals will realize what is going on and thus, take advantage of the “lesson.”

Through the teaching of “We are right, you are wrong” a sense of pride will arise. By belonging to a group deemed to be “better” a sense of superiority arises. Ego.

Through that petty ideal, an individual does not realize that Life does not have value systems, beliefs, or morality, those are human creations. The effect of an action, will be specific to the type of “game” someone is playing. For instance, if we steal, there are consequences in this society. If an animal “steals” from another, consequences are different. Why? It is a different game, “stealing” does not exist there. Nevertheless, we continue stuck in “good and bad, right and wrong” labeling any action based on our type of “game” and holding that standard as the only “truth.”

If we were aware of how conditioning changes, on how easily we could take a set of beliefs to replace another, we could be free from all of them, without rejecting none of them, for this game of Self-realization is not about having the “truth” but it is about BEING “true” to ourselves.